Root Canal Complications

Changing Your View Of Root Canals

Root canal complications are not common today. This is due in large part to the advances made in root canal therapy in recent years.

Although the basic principles have remained the same there have been improvements in:

• instruments 
• filling materials 
• technique 
• magnification 
• local anesthetics 

However root canal complications do still occur and can be alarming to the patient. The good news is that most of these problems can be readily resolved by your dentist.

It is important to remember that even if one of these root canal complications is encountered your tooth can probably still be saved.

Here are some of the more common complications seen in root canal therapy:

Root Canal Complications

1. Long appointment.  Root canals are notorious for taking a long time to complete. Most root canals can be completed in a very reasonable time period.

Others might take longer because of :

• Extra roots. Some teeth have complex anatomy. They may have additional roots or root canals that can prolong the time it takes to complete treatment.
• Calcified canals. This one can really add the time you spend in the chair. When the tiny canal space inside the root shrinks even smaller, it is more difficult to complete the treatment quickly. This one of the most common root canal complications.
• Limited opening. Some patients can’t open very wide which limits the access to the tooth by the dentist.
• Draining tooth. A root canal abscess can become so severe that it creates a great deal of drainage on the inside of the tooth. The treatment cannot be completed until the root canals are dry and free of drainage. Your dentist may have to take extra time in order to accomplish this.

2. Pain.  Mild to moderate pain is to be expected after root canal treatment. This is one of the common but easily managed root canal complications. This can usually be controlled with over the counter pain analgesics.

Severe pain after root canal treatment is not very common.

When it does happen your dentist may prescribe analgesics until the pain subsides.

"I thought the nerve was taken out!" most people exclaim.

But most mild, moderate, or severe pain after root canal therapy has been completed is coming from the ligament surrounding you root and not the tooth itself.

3. Limited opening. You may notice that you can’t open your mouth as wide without it hurting after your appointment.

This is usually because the temperomandibular joint becomes inflamed when opening wide for a long dental appointment. This joint is located directly in front of the ear. Local anesthetic injection may also contribute to a limited opening.

Over the counter analgesics will usually help this improve quickly. Don't panic this will resolve after a few days.

4. Infection. The root canal recovery process can be prolonged by the presence of a stubborn infection. If you notice swelling after your root canal treatment you should contact your dentist immediately.

Your dentist may prescribe an antibiotic to help your root canal infection heal.

Procedural Root Canal Complications 

As you know, accidents do happen. These aren't common and most of the time will not lead to tooth loss. It is, however, possible that you could lose your tooth as a result of one of these occurrences.

•  Separated endodontic instrument. Endodontic instruments have greatly improved in recent years. Although these stainless steel and nickel titanium endodontic instruments are manufactured to high specifications they can still break.

Fortunately, the root canal space can still be adequately cleaned and filled to save your tooth.

• Perforation. This is when an opening is accidentally made to the outside of your tooth or root. Many times this occurs when a dentist is trying to find a small root canal. This perforated area can usually be sealed and the treatment completed as normal.

• Missed root canal. A tooth can have extra root canals that are missed during the root canal procedure. This missed canal can cause a root canal failure.

You simply MUST GET A YES ANSWER to this question! I'll give you my recommendation on what to do if you get a NO answer.

I’ve written about this in Chapter 5 of The Relaxed Root Canal.  I wrote this book after 20+ years as an endodontist (root canal specialist). After doing thousands of root canals I decided to write a book that would help the person who is nervous about having a root canal.

The Relaxed Root Canal answers more than 80 questions about root canals including root canal complications. It will help you to stay relaxed before, during, and after your root canal treatment. For more information please CLICK HERE.

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